Embodiments of the present invention relate to accessing database data. Particular embodiments provide methods and apparatuses that cache predefined data for a mobile dashboard.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Data stored in large databases, are increasingly being accessed and manipulated by mobile devices. Such usage scenarios can offer certain challenges.
One challenge is the limited storage capacity of the mobile device. In particular, characteristics (e.g. small size, light weight) of the portable form factor of the mobile device, may likely preclude local storage of the entirety of the large data volumes that are available on a database.
A typical consequence of this challenge, is that mobile devices conventionally store only some small fragment of the data in the database. The database itself remains stored remotely on a server, accessed by the mobile device through an active, high quality communication link.
Certain conventional approaches may locally store on the mobile device, only that specific data necessary for display according to a current dashboard view. Access to data not present in that particular view (e.g. as may be called for by changing display views or issuing a different but related query), requires the mobile device to reach out and contact the remote server in order to access the full database.
This in turn leads to a second challenge. Namely, it can be difficult to ensure a constant, active, high quality communications link between the mobile device and the remote server. In particular, while wireless network access is increasingly available over large geographic areas, the quality and speed of the communications link can vary widely (e.g. between 2G-4G). In some instances, the existence of a viable communications link itself, is not guaranteed.
The loss or deterioration in quality of such an active network connection, can hinder the free access by a user to the data of the database. In particular, the mobile device (and the user) may be unable to access relevant information stored remotely in the database.
Accordingly, the present disclosure addresses these challenges with methods and apparatuses that cache predefined data for a mobile dashboard.